3-5-14 state senate approves governor's tax cut plan

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate has approved Republican Gov. Scott Walker's $504 million tax cut plan.  The proposal would send $406 million to technical colleges to reduce their property tax hit and cut income taxes by $98.6 million. The plan would shrink property taxes on a median-valued home by $131 on this December's bills and save the typical taxpayer $46 in income taxes.  The Senate passed the bill 17-15 Tuesday. The Assembly passed the measure last month but the bill has to go back to that house because the Legislature's budget committee tweaked it before the Senate took it up.  The Senate also unanimously approved another Walker proposal Tuesday to create $35 million in job training grants. That bill now goes to Walker for his signature.

3-5-14 assembly removes kramer as majority leader

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says that ousted Majority Leader Bill Kramer should not seek re-election, but whether he resigns is up to him.  Vos spoke after Assembly Republicans voted Tuesday to remove Kramer as majority leader amid allegations that he sexually harassed at least two women last week. Rep. Pat Strachota was elected to replace Kramer, becoming the first woman to ever have the job.  Kramer's office says he checked into a treatment facility on Saturday. He was not at the vote and his chief of staff did not respond to comment Tuesday.  Kramer previously registered to run again. Libertarian Chuck Schilling has also registered.  Vos says with the change in leadership the Republican caucus has "turned a corner in a very difficult chapter."

3-5-14 vos says action will be taken if kramer returns

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says actions will be taken to protect anyone who feels uncomfortable around Rep. Bill Kramer if he decides to return to the Capitol.

Vos commented Tuesday after Assembly Republicans voted to oust Kramer as majority leader amid allegations that he sexually harassed at least two women last week, one of them a GOP staff member.

Vos says he has heard from people who say they would be concerned about their safety if Kramer returns. His office says Kramer checked into a treatment facility on Saturday and he has not been available for comment.

3-5-14 heroin summit

The Fond du Lac police chief says the heroin problem in Fond du Lac is an epidemic.   Chief Bill Lamb says heroin cases locally have skyrocketed in the last couple of years.  "Statewide and its been our experience here in Fond du Lac, the seizures of heroin have quadrupled,"  Lamb told AM 1170 WFDL's Between the Lines program.  Lamb says the only drug phenomenon that may be comparable is the emergence of crack cocaine 20 years ago.  "I think back to early in my career when I was assigned to the MEG unit and powder cocaine had been the rage and crack cocaine was beginning to come on the scene.  It kind of turned the drug world upside down,"  Lamb said.  Lamb encourages Fond du lac residents to attend a heroin summit next week.  He says law enforcement can’t stop the problem on its own.  " The simple fact of the matter is we are not going to arrest our way out of this problem."  Fond du Lac County probation and parole agent Carrie Nitz helped organize a drug court that is expected to start this month.  Fond du Lac County was awarded a three year $350,000 federal grant last fall.  "We just recently hired a coordinator who started this week so the drug court program should be up and running in the very near future."

3-5-14 hwy 151 information meeting

A public meeting will be held next week in Oakfield to discuss the Highway 151 Preservation Study between

Highways 49 and 41.  The meeting will be held March 12^th from 5-7pm at Oakfield Elementary School.

The study will develop a long-term vision for the corridor and preserving it as a freeway.  That means at-grade intersections would be replaced by an interchange, overpass, cul-de-sacs and new local road connections.  Direct driveway access to private properties would be removed or relocated.

3-5-14 melanie's wish

Friends of a Waupun woman with terminal cancer want to make her last wish come true.   Thirty three year old Melanie Gober-Decker  has terminal breast cancer and doctors have given her just a few weeks to live.  

Longtime friend Jeremy Buker is a captain in the U.S. Marines.  Buker says friends are trying to raise enough money to help Melanie’s last wish become a reality…a trip to Hawaii.  Buker says to help Melanie you can go to the website www.gofundme.com/memoriesformelanie.

3-5-14 wi woman pleads guilty in dog torture death case

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — A 21-year-old Wausau woman has pleaded guilty to fatally torturing a dog belonging to her former boyfriend.  Sean Janas pleaded guilty in Marathon County to mistreating an animal resulting in death and intentionally poisoning an animal.  Janas entered a plea deal Tuesday with prosecutors. As part of the deal, charges of obstructing an officer will be dismissed as well as an unrelated theft case from Washington County.  Prosecutors say Janas poured bleach and Drano down the throat of a German shepherd-Labrador mix named Mary who died in June 2012.  Prosecutors also say Janas kept a diary detailing how she hated the dog and saying she hoped it died.